Centre Wellington councillor Walt Visser announced at council Monday that people who want more than a few trees to plant from the county Green Legacy program should order them starting Oct. 1.
This year, Visser said, the county gave out 154,000 seedlings and 7,000 larger potted trees, and has plans for an extra thousand for 2009.
Visser works with the Green Legacy committee as the township liaison, and said at a recent committee meeting he learned the county has given away 760,000 trees since the program started in 2004.
As well, over 1,000 volunteers, including 800 students, have given 3,500 volunteer hours to the tree planting program.
Among those, Vanier women’s prison has volunteered 350 hours, and 12 schools in Wellington County had over 1,200 students planting almost 14,000 trees this spring on privately owned land.
The warden’s tree plant in Mapleton saw 100 county staff plant 3,200 trees.
As well, Visser said, 6,000 trees were started in schools this spring.
The county also provides each municipality with trees, and, including the county, they have given away 44,881 trees. Thirty-one organizations have taken 14,604 trees, and 18 schools have received 15,070 trees, and planted 13,790 of those on private land.
Private landowners have received 28,235 trees, and have paid for 14,445 of them.
Conservation Authorities have received 65,000 trees.
In 2009, the tree allocations are:
– 35,000, for municipalities;
– 10,000 for schools and landowner plantings;
– 3,000 for the warden’s planting;
– 15,000 for organizations;
– 45,000 to the Grand River Conservation Authority;
– 20,000 to Credit Valley Conservation;
– 4,000 to Halton;
– 20,000 to private landowners;
– 3,000 to other Conservations Authorities; and
– 155,000 in total.
Visser said of the program, “The Green Legacy is making a definite imprint in Ontario.”
The program began in 2004 to help mark the county’s 150th anniversary. It was so popular, county council continued it.
